Forklift trucks are used both inside and outside of business buildings for the express purpose of moving products and equipment, either incoming or outgoing or from point to point in the plant as desired. This is accomplished by means of a forklift in the front of the vehicle, which is normally hydraulically controlled, that is placed under the item or items to be moved, and lifted to any desired height and then taken to the desired location. The driver area is completely open except for a pair of guardrails that offer some protection to the driver in case of a roll-over or from protruding objects.
Because the driver area is completely open, it is exposed totally to its own exhaust gases. This is especially true when the vehicle is backed-up for any reason. The breathing in of these exhaust gases by the driver is extremely hazardous to his health, and toxic enough to dull his driving capabilities to the point where an accident is very likely.
It is to avoid these conditions that the present invention has been directed.
The prior art is exemplified by the following patents which do disclose some means for protecting the driver from atmospheric and climatic conditions: U.S. Pat. No. 1,919,387, issued to T. F. Stringer; U.S. Pat. No. 2,583,918, issued to William C. Wilson; U.S. Pat. No. 2,532,948, issued to Howard Sanden, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 2,667,379, issued to G. P. Baze; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,430, issued to John H. Babbitt et al.
These prior art patents while attempting to solve certain problems to which they are directed, fail to solve the above-discussed problems. U.S. Pat. No. 2,667,379, for example, provides a completely-transparent cab, and access is similar to that of an airplane cockpit. The purpose of the cab is to protect the operator of the tractor from the weather. While the cab is transparent and shatterproof, these characteristics are the only similarities with that of the present invention.